2017 Croatian Sports Fan Calendar

by croatiaweek
January 1, 2017
in Sport

(photo credit: HNS)

Plenty of Gold medal success at the Rio Olympic Games, and excitement of the EURO football championships in France, was some of the highlights of another busy sporting year in 2016 for Croatian sports fans.

Here are some of the main highlights Croatian sports fans have to look forward to in 2017.

JANUARY

11th – 29th: HANDBALL – 2017 World Men’s Handball Championship (France)
Croatia will be hoping to improve on their bronze medal performance at the 2016 World Championships in Poland.

16th – 29th: TENNIS – Grand Slam – Australian Open (Australia)
A number of Croatians will be playing in Melbourne this year, with former US Open champion and World No.6 Marin Čilić again Croatia’s best hope for glory.

FEBRUARY

3rd – 5th: TENNIS – Davis Cup World Group (Osijek)
Croatia will face Spain in Osijek in the opening round of the 2017 Davis Cup. The team will be hoping to go one better this year after losing in the final to Argentina in 2016.

Croatia aiming for more Davis Cup success in 2017 (photo credit: Davis Cup/Twitter)

MARCH

24th: FOOTBALL – 2018 World Cup Qualifiers (Zagreb)
Croatia resume their quest for a birth at the 2018 World Cup in Russia when they take on Ukraine in Zagreb at 8:45 pm.

APRIL

7th – 9th April: TENNIS – Davis Cup Quarter-Finals
Croatia will have a date in the quarter-finals if they manage to beat Spain earlier in the year. They will play the winner of the Serbia – Russia match.

Croatia have a number of important World Cup qualifiers in 2017 (photo: HNS)

MAY / JUNE

28th May – 11th June: TENNIS – Grand Slam – Roland Garros (France)
Marin Čilić, Borna Ćorić, Ivo Karlović, Ana Konjuh, and Ivan Dodig will also be hoping for some good form on clay in Paris.

11th June: FOOTBALL – 2018 World Cup Qualifiers (Iceland)
Ante Čačić’s side will be hoping to go go a step closer to World Cup qualification with a win away to Iceland.

JULY

3rd – 16th: TENNIS – Wimbledon (UK)
The most prestigious Grand Slam of them all – Croatia’s representatives will be hoping to produce the goods at the All England Club.

16th – 29th: WATER POLO – World Championships (Hungary)
The Croatian team will be hoping to go one better than the silver medal they won in Rio at the Olympic Games in 2016.

17th – 23rd: TENNIS – Croatia Open (Umag)
Croatia’s premiere ATP tournament held on the Istrian coast in Umag.

Croatia claimed silver in the men’s water polo
(photo credit: Igor Kralj/PIXSELL)

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER

28 August – 10 September: TENNIS – US Open (US)
Marin Čilić will be hoping to repeat his feat from three years ago when he won the tournament.

31st August – 17 September: BASKETBALL – FIBA EuroBasket 2017 (Finland, Israel, Romania and Turkey)
Croatia will play in Group C at the FIBA EuroBasket 2017 together with Spain, Romania, Hungary, Montenegro and the Czech Republic.

2nd September: FOOTBALL – World Cup qualifiers (Zagreb)
Croatia take on Kosovo in Zagreb as the World Cup qualifiers get down to the business end.

5th September: FOOTBALL – World Cup qualifiers (Zagreb)
Croatia travel to Turkey and hope to secure their spot in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The two sides drew 1-1 in Zagreb last year.

15th – 17th September: TENNIS – Davis Cup
This is semi-final weekend of the Davis Cup. Last year Croatia beat France at this stage in Zadar.